


straight on ‘til morning

by helsinkibaby



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: F/M, Het, Romance, Spoilers for 2.14 ish, The Cage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 19:51:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18611362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Spock leaves Pike on Talos IV.





	straight on ‘til morning

**Author's Note:**

> So Alethia wrote a story and I was whomped by a notion for a sequel to it, (thank you Tilly) which I am trying to write and not sure about it and someone else wrote a different sequel so it may never see the light of day and then I got whomped by this so here it is. I’ve not actually seen all of season two but I am spoiled like woah, and it’s a long time since I’ve seen “The Cage/Menagerie” which is my way of saying that if anything is wrong, just consider it AU!

It was astonishing, Chris reflected, how you could take the simplest of movements for granted. Reaching out his arm in front of him, he stretched his fingers out as wide as he could before balling them into a fist. Flexing his wrist, he turned the fist over, noting how the veins of his pulse point stood out in stark relief, how his nails dug into the palm of his hand. 

“You have really beautiful nail beds,” whispered a long ago voice in his memory and he smiled, even the ability to do that a revelation. 

There was a chime at the door that made him rise to his feet. “Enter,” he said and the doors swished apart to reveal Spock, looking from left to right and back again. If Chris didn’t know better, he’d say his former first officer was flustered. 

“Hello, Spock.” Upon hearing the words, Spock looked at him and blinked. Twice. 

Chris decided to change his opinion. Spock was definitely flustered, in the Vulcan demonstration of the word anyway. “Captain,” he said, stepping into the room, looking all around him. Chris could practically see his mind working as he tried to figure out where - or when - they were. “It is quite remarkable,” he said as his eyes took in everything. “One moment, I was walking through a cave. The next...” He spread his arms wide and Chris was reminded that it was one things to know about the Talosians’ ability, quite another to see if after a gap of so many years. 

“That is what you planned. To use the Talosians’ abilities to my advantage?” Spock inclined his head, his way of acknowledging the question and confirming what Chris already knew. “Spock, what you did...”

“Was necessary. For a captain and friend. And...” Spock hesitated, a sight so rare that Chris couldn’t remember it ever happening before. “A brother,” he finished. 

Chris had trouble speaking suddenly, a sense of panic rushing over him. Was the Talosians’ magic fading? A moment later, he realised the problem - Spock’s words, the quiet calm he spoke with, had reminded Chris of another who often spoke with that same inflection, someone who was very near to his thoughts right now. 

As if Spock had read his mind and that had helped him solve the mystery, he glanced around again. “These are your quarters aboard the Discovery.” 

Chris nodded. “They are.” 

Spock tilted his head. “Forgive my surprise, Captain... while I knew the Talosians could create any situation for you, I imagined you would go back home to Earth. Or perhaps the Enterprise.” 

“Rather than a ship where I was acting Captain for such a short period of time?” Chris could understand Spock’s surprise. But then, his friend had never known the depth of the relationships he’d forged aboard Discovery. One relationship in particular. 

Which really, could hardly be called that. A friendship, yes, one built on a foundation of respect and admiration. But any possibility of romance had been cut short by destiny, save for one lone night that had lived in his memory, in his dreams, for years. 

And as surely as if his thoughts had conjured her up - and who knew, maybe in this strange new world, they had? - the doors swished open again and in walked Michael, looking exactly the same as she had years ago when he had known her. Proud gait, perfect posture, in her Discovery uniform like she was either coming off or going on duty. But her shoulders were relaxed and her smile was bright when she saw the two of them standing there. 

“Here you two are. For a moment, I thought I’d missed you.” She was talking to Spock and as Chris watched brother and sister, he saw the exact moment that realisation landed on Spock - that they were standing in the captain’s quarters, that Michael hadn’t requested entrance, the doors had simply parted for her for their own accord. As if she had every right to be there without need for permission. As if she belonged there. Anyone else would be reeling but Spock simply looked at Chris and raised an eyebrow while tilting his head

Which Chris knew to be Spock-speak for “I am surprised” so he gave Spock an apologetic smile and a half grin for good measure. 

“You know I would not leave without saying goodbye.” Spock’s voice was carefully neutral but it didn’t seem to worry Michael. She stood in front of her brother, glanced over at Chris. “I wanted to say thank you,” she said. Spock blinked, the only symbol of his surprise. “For what you said when Chris told you about us. Your blessing... it’s important to us. To both of us.” 

Spock tilted his head again though Chris didn’t know why. If things had really gone down this road, if things had been different, of course he would have talked to Spock first, seeking his counsel if not necessarily his blessing. “I am not head of our house, sister,” Spock reminded Michael. “My blessing is not required.” 

“No.” Michael’s voice was low and amused, matching the smile on her face. “Not required. But both of us would be loathe to proceed without it.” 

Chris took a step closer to her, delighted when she reached out and took his hand in hers. “If our parents ask me,” Spock said, looking down at their joined hands, “I shall tell them that Captain Pike is a good man. And that if you must be involved with someone...” For a Vulcan speaking as matter of factly as only a Vulcan could, he packed a remarkable amount of distaste into those words. It was actually impressive. “I can think of no better choice.” 

Chris felt another lump rising in his throat and he had to swallow hard against it. It didn’t get any easier when he saw the usually stoic Michael’s eyes glistening. “Spock,” she said softly, dropping Chris’s hand and walking towards her brother, pulling him into a hug. 

For a split second, Spoke froze, unmoving. Then he blinked once and, slowly as glaciers moving, he put his arms around her. Dropping his head, he let it rest against Michael’s and he closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. 

Chris had to look away. 

“I shall miss you, sister,” he heard Spock say softly and, looking back at them, he saw Michael pull back so that she could look at her brother. 

“We’ll stay in touch this time,” she promised. “You never know, Enterprise and Discovery might even end up in the same sector of the universe one day.” 

“Quite.” Spock nodded, his famed Vulcan control allowing him to look supremely calm while Chris felt as if his heart was caught in a vice. This Michael, this illusion, knew nothing of the fate of the real Michael and the real Discovery, had no way of knowing that this was the first time Spock had seen his sister in years, and would be the last. “Captain.” Spock turned and met his gaze. “I will take my leave now.” 

Chris cleared his throat. “Very good, Mr Spock. Allow us to accompany you to the transporter room?”

Spock acquiesced and the three made their way through the ship, passing comrades that Chris hadn’t seen in so long. On arrival at the transporter room, Chris excused the technician, took the controls himself. “Mr Spock,” he said as Spock stepped on the pad and turned to face him. “Thank you for all you have done.” 

Spock dipped his chin then raised his right hand in the familiar salute. “Peace and long life, Christoper Pike.” 

Though he never could quite master it, Chris raised his own hand and did his best to copy the gesture. “Live long and prosper, Mr Spock.” 

Then, with the movement of Chris’s hand, he was gone in a shimmer of lights and the familiar whine of the machines. It left Chris staring down at the controls, knowing that he was truly alone now, stranded here on Talos IV. 

Then a hand closed around his wrist, warm and strong, as warm and strong as the gaze he looked up into. “I realise it’s a wrench,” Michael said gently. “Leaving your ship... your crew. If you’re having second thoughts...”

“No. None.” Chris shook his head, turning and slipping his arms around her waist. Her hands moved up to land on his chest and she tilted her head back so she could smile up at him. “I’m exactly where I need to be.” 

Much as Chris had missed Michael’s smile, the one she gave him then was even bigger. “Why, Captain,” she drawled, “whatever happened to not getting amorous while on duty?” 

Chris narrowed his eyes, pretending to consider. “I’m fairly sure those were your rules, Commander.” She pressed her lips together and looked down, which he took to be her conceding the point. “I’ve never been afraid of breaking the rules when I need to...ruffling a few feathers...” 

One of his hands moved down her back, far lower than was appropriate while either of them were on duty. Michael raised an eyebrow and it might even have been supposed to be cautionary. It had little to no effect when her eyes were sparkling like that. “Oh, is that what we’re calling it now?” 

Chris didn’t hesistate. “Yes,” he said before pulling her into a kiss. Michael didn’t hesitate either, pressing her body closer to his, winding her arms around his neck and threading her fingers through his hair. Closing his eyes, Chris let himself get lost in sensation, in her and he would have done more than that were it not for the whine of the ship’s comm system gearing up to make an announcement. 

“Captain Pike and Commander Burnham to the bridge.” 

It was Saru’s voice and Chris drew away, giving Michael a rueful smile, receiving one in return. “Postponed for later?” he asked and she grinned. 

“Aye, aye, Captain.” 

They made their way to the bridge, side by side, arms clasped behind their backs and Chris marvelled when he stepped out of the turbolift. Saru was rising from the captain’s chair to greet them, Detmer and Owo at the controls, ready to receive their orders. Behind his chair were Bryce and Rhys, Tilly standing at her science station, pointing something out to Stamets. 

It was, Chris thought, like coming home. 

Michael’s fingers brushed along his back as she moved towards her station and he unashamedly grinned as his eyes followed her progress. Which was decidedly unprofessional, he knew, but these were special circumstances. “The Enterprise has left orbit,” Saru was telling him. “And we await your orders, Sir.” 

Chris sat down in the chair, ran his hands along the armrests. It felt just like he remembered. “No word from Starfleet?” 

“Not as yet, Sir.” 

Chris nodded, looked out at the viewscreen, then across the bridge at his crew. His family. “Well then, how about we take her out for a spin?” 

Saru blinked. “A spin, Sir?” 

“Yes, Mister Saru, a spin.” He looked around, met Michael’s eyes, saw them sparkling. “Lieutenant Detmer... set course.” 

If Detmer thought there was anything odd in his orders, she didn’t show it. Instead she merely laid her hands on the console and waited his instructions. 

“Well?” Michael asked, coming to stand beside him, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Where are we heading?” 

Chris considered for a moment, then, propriety he damned, laid his hand over hers. “Second star to the right, Detmer.” Michael’s smile was brighter than the star in question and he could see his future in it as he continued, “And straight on ‘til morning.”


End file.
